


First Date

by Ultra



Series: Lost in Space [10]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Committed Relationship, Dancing, Dinner, F/M, First Dates, Love, Post-Serenity (2005)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-05
Updated: 2011-12-05
Packaged: 2020-02-29 16:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18781576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: River never had a real date before; maybe Jayne can do something about that...





	First Date

**Author's Note:**

> originally written for raven_40 on Livejournal for a prompt meme.

They’d been bunking together for weeks now, few months maybe, Jayne weren’t much for keeping track of such things. All he knew was him and the little woman was happy enough to get along together and the crew had adjusted to that. Course that was true until a couple of days back when suddenly its seemed he did something wrong. River wouldn’t or couldn’t tell him what it was, no matter how much he tried to get it out of her.

It fell to little Kaylee to make some sense of what was said... or rather what wasn’t said to Jayne himself. Girlfolk liked to talk to each other afore the men in their lives, that’d always been so. The mechanic reckoned it had taken her and Inara both to get River’s reasoning out of her and then she’d come right along to Jayne to let him know what was up.

“She wants to feel special, Jayne,” Kaylee explained. “Y’know the poor little thing ain’t even ever had a date her whole life?”

“A date?” Jayne had questioned the meaning of such a phrase, though it was a simple enough concept, surely!

“Sure’n you treat her nice and all,” the mechanic said fast before she caused offence. “River knows you like her well enough, but... well, a girl likes a little fuss from time to time. Fancy dinner, dancin’ maybe.” She smiled bright and wide, eyes alight as she thought on past dates of her own, maybe with Simon, maybe before.

Jayne didn’t care enough to think on it, since his mind was racing with other things. They was out deep in the black, weren’t as like to be planet-side for at least a week and then no place worth takin’ his bao-bei out on her very first date of all things! This required some deep thought, which a merc like him weren’t exactly known for.

It took a couple of days before if was figured out, and Jayne felt like a real buhn dahn, dressed up in one of the Doc’s fancified shirts (albeit altered by ‘Nara to fit), a tie Mal leant him, and all. The mess had been cleaned up real nice, flowers strung up by little Kaylee, and the best food that Zoe could help Jayne conjure smellin’ pretty good on the stove. Weren’t like nothing that’d ever been done on the little Firefly they called home before, but then that was the point.

With Mal covering as pilot, and the grovelling Jayne had to do to the Cap’n for that was the most painful thing for the merc, River came wandering through looking a vision in a fine dark red dress that fit like it were made for her. Possible it had been. The point was she’d come a helluva long way from the funny little girl first arrived aboard this boat, naked as a jaybird that first day, then wearing whatever was spare for a long time after. She was a woman now, beautiful and graceful as she was smart and deadly. Jayne loved every facet of her and she knew it now more than ever as he looked to her and smiled.

“He has made much effort.” She smiled back warmly.

“Damn straight,” he agreed with gusto, before remembering to pull out the chair for her to sit down.

To his credit, River noted, Jayne did not once mention how trying it was for him to remember to be a gentleman, though he thought on it enough. She knew this was not what he was used to and not exactly how he would like to spend an evening, but that only made it all the more special to River.

She did not know exactly why she cared to experience a real date, but something inside her bubbled up fiercely green when Kaylee or Inara spoke of such things. All of Jayne’s efforts meant the world to her as he served her the best food that could be made from the given supplies and tried to sound interested in talking to her about things that clearly bored him.

“This has all been beautiful,” she said when the meal was done and the hour grew later still. “She appreciates it, more than he could know.”

“Ain’t done yet,” Jayne told her with a smirk as he hopped up from the table and moved to flip a switch on the little recording device on the counter top.

Even River had not realised what he was doing until it was done and the most melodic tune filled the ship. Her eyes lit up as her ears took in the delightful song that made her want to dance immediately and never stop. As if he were the Reader instead of her, Jayne was suddenly there again, offering a hand for her to take.

No sooner had she considered it than River was in Jayne’s arms as he concentrated far too much in moving her around the room. Carefully he spun her and yet there was still a little too much force as he pulled her back. She collided into his chest with a thud, but laughed about it anyway, causing him to do the same, that low rumble of humour that warmed her insides each time she heard and felt it.

“Ain’t much for dancin’,” he admitted, as he held her close, pushing her hair back off her face then, “but this whole thing kinda what ya had in mind for a date?” he asked her.

“No,” she admitted as she stared up at him, worryingly a moment before she explained. “It’s infinitely better than even her genius mind and imagination could invent,” she told him with a smile, going up on her toes to kiss him, a long deep kiss that conveyed just how pleased she was with all his efforts tonight.

“Glad to please ya, bao-bei,” he told her, just as soon as she let him draw breath.

“Hmm, she wishes he wouldn’t stop yet,” she replied, with a look in her eyes that was unmistakable.

The dishes, the music, the entire room abandoned, Jayne happily carried his woman off to their bunk without a thought in his head but her and the activities to come. Hell, if this was what came of dates, he might not let this be just a first, but the first of many!


End file.
